Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-13


the islanders and the practices of the
landlords. know not whether l in
formed your readers that l had to
bring the pressure of public opinion
in Ireland and Great Britain to bear
upon the (then LiberaD Government
during the winter of l8S6-to vote
money out of the Irish Church sur
plus fund to save the people of Achill
from starvation. This was only last
year. The aid thus obtained, to-
gether with generous assistance re-
ceived from friends in America,
enabled the islanders to SOW their
crops and tide over the season of dis
tress. This year they have been
blessed with a very good harvest, the
outcome of last years relief; and we
now find the landlords OF the island
so unspeakably mean as to try and
steal from these wretched creatures
the few cows that are on the island
because the potato crop has turned
out an abundant one. In other words
these social brigands say: "You have
plenty of potatoes, which we will not
seize, because we could not sell them !;
but we mean to take away whatever
cattle there may be found on the
island" On Tuesday morning last,
only few days after l had left the
place, the following proceedings
occurred: Agent Vereker, acting for
Major Pike and the other landlords of
Achill. with staff of bailiffs and a
large force of armed police, proceeded
from Newport to Achill on brakes and
cars for the purpose of
MAKING A CLEAN SWEEP
of all the cattle belonging to those
against whom civil bill DEGREES for
rent had been obtained from the
courts. The Islanders, however, were
not caught mapping. Horns were
sounded from all the hill tops, chapel
bells were rung, and long before the
cattle-lifting expedition had reached
the bridge which the Achillians have
named after me, and which is the
only access to the island by land, the
COWS and sheep were "swapped"
that is, the tenants who were
not implicated took the cattle
of those who were, in exchange
for their own pro tempo, and in this
manner made it impossible for either
landlord or government to make a
seizure. Your readers can readily i'm
agine how foolish and how mad the
imperial cattle-lifters looked at this
unexpected result of their thieving
expedition. Amid the jeers and tri-
umphant laughter of the assembled
thousands the agent, bailiffs and con-
stabulary had to beat an ignominious
retreat, ter having put the British
taxpayer to the eatexpense incurred
in the journey OF so many of Her
Majesty's forces.
Yesterday witnessed
TWO VERY SINGULAR GATHERINGS.
here in Dublin. One was a conven-
ton of delegates representing the en-
tire landlords of Ireland. The other
was an immense meeting of Home
Rulers to welcome the most infuen-
tial deputation of English Democrats
that has ever visited Ireland for a
friendly purpose. These rival meet
ings represented not only the oppos-
ing forces Of this Irish struggle, but
the political incongruities which are
strikingly illustrated in the new
phase of the contest for home rule.
The landlords have met for the pur-
pose of devising plands by which
they hope to save themselves from
ruin, and to defend Castle government
fir IN the attacks of its enemies. These
are objects which would enlist only
few brief years ago the sympathy of
popular feeling in Great Britain. The
Irish landlords had always been able
to convince the British mind that the
preservation of their land system and
the full maintenance of Castle prestige
were absolutely essential to the preser-
vation of the British Empire. To
abolish either of the institutions would
mean dishonor, and must work the
ultimate ruin of imperial England.
But, at yesterdays landlord conven-
ton, there was not single English
sympathizer present, and no word
of cheer was read from any
friendly source outside the
building in which the discredited
rack renters were assembled. The
English visitors went to the opposite
camp. They attended and spoke at
the Land League demonstration and
told the vast audience and the whole
Irish nation that the million masses
of England, Wales and Scotland sent
hearty God-speed to the men and
the movement who were assailing the
citadel of Irish landlordism and Dab
lin Castle. Such solidarity between
the industrial democracy of the
three countries is most un-
pleasant prospect for the CO.
ercionist landlords. These English
men recognize now that we are in
realty fighting their battle against the
allied powers OF caste and monopoly,
as we'll as our own. This circumstance
lends sincerity to their cooperation
in the home rule movement which
many friends of the Irish cause in
America are prone to look upon with
the suspicion of selfishness. 1t is in
large measure, l admit, a selfish
support, but not in the sense it is
understood to be by some on your
side of the water. Many
ENGLISH HOME RULERS
have become such in the belief that
ireland can only De permanently re-
tanned as part of the British imper-
ial system by the concession of
limited autonomy to the Irish people.
Converts of this kind are chiefly con-
fined to the politicians. But among
the industrial classes in Great Britain
there is growing conviction that the
reforms for which the Irish leaders
are contending are almost as much
needed in England, Scotland and
Wales as in Ireland, while a con cur
rent belief obtains that in an Irish |
Parliament we would work out these
social and administrative changes,
and thus force forward similar amel-
10 rative legislation in Westminster. !
The friendly feeling that is
thus gained for our cause |
among the masses on the other |
side of the Irish Sea is founded upon